First time builder trying for a gaming rig around 1000

[Manta173]

I've played around inside computers before, but I haven't had a new system in 5 years and am looking to build one from the ground up for around 1000 dollars... I'm hoping to be able to get Dual graphics cards running... (I think thats called SLI) and I want this build to be future friendly if at all possible.

I have a wishlist on newegg.com for it with two setups... a ddr2 and a ddr3... I don't really know which would be a better build, and any advice would be welcome. If there are substitutions that don't sacrifice too much performance I would greatly appreciate it as I am a little above the price I want.

I still need the optical drive and sound card, but I already have the OS (VISTA), some old speakers, and an old monitor (I think a second one is needed for dual video cards and I was hoping to use 2)

Also if running dual video cards do I need them to be the same card or can I buy one now and then a better one later and run them together?

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...Title=computer

Thanks.

[flanzig1]

If running a Sli set-up, you can only have one monitor.
Your $1000 budget is a bit low to do a quailty SLI system. The 2 cards and a Sli certified PSU will just about use up the grand. And to get the most out of Sli, should run at least a 21" monitor, 24" would be better.
Go with DDR2 memory, DDR3 isn't quite there yet in terms of performance to buck ratio.
Lite-On retail DVD opticals are recommended.
For sound, try the on-board first then add a sound card if the on-board isn't up to your needs.

[Drunner611]

An 8600gt sli build will get crushed by many single cards out there.

You are much better off with an e8400, asus p5e, and 8800gts

[Manta173]

So you guys are saying drop the sli as I can get better performance without it... ok... but should I get a MoBo that can do it later? or should I forget it all together?

Also is the PSU enough? I don't have any idea how to judge that.

Thank you for your help.

[Manta173]

Oh and if I go the ddr2 route won't it be obsolete sooner...? I was hoping to be able to upgrade this for the next few years and still have good performance...

[AdamFaulkner]

That's the idea a lot of people have when they spend extra oney on an SLI system, future-proofing. I think you should forget about it all together because by the time SLI/Crossfire becomes a viable option, the costs will be that you'll end up buying a whole new system basically. DDR2 will not be obsolete because it's stable and works good. The next level of RAM so to speak is DDR3, quoting a post from another member, and the current computers today can't take good advantage of it. That's an unknown PSU to me, here's a good one from Rosewill http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182044

[Manta173]

So I did some looking, and I can't seem to find a MoBo that has a FSB of 1333 while supporting ram at the same speed.... I had always thought that getting those numbers that same greatly improves performance... is that an error on my part? or is the difference small enough to not be concerned?

[Alaron]

The RAM does not match the FSB exactly. For the Q6600, the best match is DDR2-533 (Half of 1066). We recommend everyone pick up DDR2-800 right now. The prices are great and you have room for overclocking if you want to later.

[Manta173]

So is a quad core better than a faster dual core? or does that depend on the softwares abilities?

[Manta173]

If I'm going for an 8800 which is 150-200 why not just up it to a 9600?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130328

And what does GT GTS GTX mean?

Also, I just realized I didn't ask about 64 bit... should I go for that? and if so what would be the big difference in my setup?

[Manta173]

from someone else's thread....

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...e_card_for_200

so the 9600 is the best for the money then right?

[AdamFaulkner]

GT, GTS, GTX, etc. are the model names for nVidia's recent line of video cards. They're released in order, GT, GTS, GTX, and Ultra. The most recent series, 9000s, includes a 9800GX2, which is the 'best' and the most expensive. Unless you're going to be using the computer for certain applications that require a 64-bit OS, don't worry it. The 9600GT is the best for the money, especially the one you picked out.

[alanebro82]

No one mentioned it yet, but your power supply is questionable.

Your video card requires a lot of current on the 12V rail, and your power supply barely meets the requirement. 15 and 16 amps per rail is quite low for that Rosewill, most PSUs are running 18 minimum per rail these days.

[aram]

you'll need a 64bit OS to recognize all 4gb of ram, otherwise you'll be looking at using only about 3gb of that.

From the benchmarks Ive seen the 8800GT still edges the 9600GT and (at least here in the UK) is around the same price so I'd go for that if you can find one for a good price.

Quad core processors are better for multi-tasking and multi-threaded software (mainly limited to high level software atm), so if your going to be doing lots of things at once (burning, encoding, gaming etc) then go for a quad. Some newer games are also beginning to use multi-threaded code, say running the AI, physics and engine on separate cores. However it wont make doing a single threaded task any faster. It's really down to how you will be using your machine, but as it's for gaming I would recommend the quad core as more and more games will be able to utilize multiple cores in the near future. Plus the 6600 is so easy to overclock so you'll end up with 4 cores running the same or faster than any of the equivalent dual cores anyway.

[Manta173]

So alanebro... does that mean I need a 600w? I don't understand.

And aram and faulkner... if I go for 64 bit you're saying that I won't see a difference so don't bother?

And I'm still unsure as to what specifically I'm looking for in a mobo... http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813131275 I need to match the FSB to the processor, but what else?

[Alaron]

Wattage isn't the issue. Brand quality is. Rosewills are not the best. We recommend Corsair brand power supplies. Very good quality. The 550w model would be a good choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...corsair%2b550w

The major difference between 64 and 32bit OS is that a 64bit OS will show all 4GB of RAM. If you use a 32Bit OS, it will only report having 3GB or so installed. That is not a problem though. The OS will still use everything it can. I would just grab the 32bit version and 4GB of RAM.

The P5K is a great mobo, I'd stick with it.

[Manta173]

Not that I don't appreciate the suggestion, but if the brand of Rosewill is the issue, how about this PSU? (a heck of a lot cheaper)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817148027

I guess the only things I haven't gotten feedback on are the mouse, keyboard, case, and monitor... Are all of those personal preference?

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16826246011

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16823175103

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16811144151

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16824009091

And short of newegg.com, dell.com, and Bestbuy I don't know where else to look for good prices.

Thanks again to everyone who's helped me on this.

[Manta173]

Or maybe this PSU... with the combo deal it would save some cash...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...?EdpNo=3685290

[flanzig1]

Would look at this for good/bad brands of PSUs: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195
Don't look for a PSU based on price.
This case/PSU combo is about the only one we recommend: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024

[shadowpr]

Other sites I've used are www.mwave.com

www.zipzoomfly.com

You can also do a search. I remeber a thread a while ago that had everyone list the sites they use.

[alanebro82]

I would really look into the PSU that Alaron suggested. You really don't want to try to cut corners on that aspect of your build. I did that on my first build, and my computer randomly shut down and had many stability problems. One day it simply wouldn't turn on.

I ordered a new PSU (an OCZ Gamestream). Not gonna lie... it's complete overkill for my build, as my graphics card isn't very impressive... but I have not had any problems whatsoever after making the switch.

[Drunner611]

Do NOT cheap out on the PSU. What's the point in buying a $1k computer if the powersupply is going to crap out and take you down with it?

Go with the Corsair Alaron listed. Not all PSU's are created equal.

As far as teh 8800gt vs. 9600gt it gets confusing. The 8800gt is faster even though it's number is lower.

SLI is only worth it if you get two cards right now. By the time you buy a second one down the road, a single card solution will already be faster.

If you could update a new parts list, that would be helpful to us.

The mouse/keyboard thing is personal preference. I have a G5, but my keyboard is a $5 generic. I don't see the point in gaming keyboards.

[Katreat]

Late to the thread but will support what others are saying. A cheap PSU is a ticket to an unstable system. Worse, it can often take out major components if it goes bad because they tend to keep prices down by leaving safty out of the build. Get something off the Good side of this list.

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

For vid card the 8800 GT is a bit faster thant he 9600 GT but they are close and both represents the current entry level into high performance gaming cards. Check out this review for price breaks and possitioning.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...ards,1805.html

Definately stay with a single card set up unless you are buying at the top. The biggest attraction for SLI is making the best better or for use on very large monitors. With a 19 inch you are proposing you will not see any resolution advantage to SLI and you would spend less on a single faster video card than you would trying to build a low end SLI rig.

Mice and keyboards are really a personal choice. I like Logitec but it comes down to what makes you happy. Case is very personal but you also get what you pay for. I look for cases based on appearance but also stick with name brands that use less pastic and have a bit better fit and finish. My last few builds have been in Antec but there are quite a few good brands. In general it is best to get a case without a psu because with the exception of antec very few come with a quality PSU installed.

Kat

[Manta173]

Ok here is my updated list of parts:

CASE: APEVIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16811144151

MoBo: ASUS P5K PRO LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813131275

Video Card: EVGA 512-P3-N862-AR GeForce 9600GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814130328
(Going with this one since it is slightly cheaper than the 8800gt...)

PSU: SeaSonic SS-500ES ATX12V/V2.2, EPS12V/V2.91, 500W, PFC, 80+, 2PCI-E (6Pin)
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817151040
(I know its not the one recommended but it is on the list of good supplies and has a good deal.)

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819115017
(As mentioned above I agree that games will start to use multiple cores... so I think this will be faster in the long run than the dual core 3.0gig)

MEMORY: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820231122
(Cheap DDR800 ram with a good review on newegg.)

HDD: Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 1.5Gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822136012
(I know its not very big, but the 10000rpm is what I'm going for as I want the speed more than the size...)

OPTICAL: Lite-On
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827106073

KEYBOARD: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16823175103
(This is the one I chose because I assumed it would give me better performance... If there isnt much of a difference, I'll just get a decent regular keyboard.)

MOUSE: Cyber Snipa
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16826246011
(I chose this one because it seemed to be the best performance/dollar)

MONITOR: Acer AL1916WAbd Black 19" 5ms Widescreen
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16824009091

So what do you guys think?

Total price (sans mail-ins) $1235

[shadowpr]

Looks good to me.

[Manta173]

And if I need a sound card (if the on board cant handle everything).... any recommendations?

[Alaron]

Swap for the Retail LiteOn so you get Nero software: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827106072

As for the sound card, the Creative X-Fi is popular, as are the Auzentech brand cards. Look around in the Multimedia forum for more info.

[Manta173]

Ok, I have been asking around and it seems the guys on this site are the only ones that think the sli with the 8600gt's is worse that one higher level card... is there a place where I can find comparisons?

[Alaron]

You can compare video cards at Tom's Hardware.

Here is one example of comparing 8600GTs in SLI versus one 8800GT. http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/d...?p=1590%2C1586

Use the "Choose Benchmark" dropdown to look at more comparisons. It should keep those two options at the top of the list for easy comparison.

[Manta173]

Wow I stand humbled... guess my friends are quite a bit off on these newer cards...